The Stream, June 7: Annual Food Waste = 170 Billion Cubic Meters of Water

Food and Water
The amount of food wasted each year contains approximately 170 trillion liters (45 trillion gallons) of water, according to a new report from the World Resources Institute, NPR reported. Fruits and vegetables account for the largest share of water lost through food waste.

U.S. subsidy policies meant to conserve water by encouraging farmers to buy more water-efficient irrigation systems may have backfired, reported The New York Times. Researchers say the subsidies actually increased the amount of water used by farmers because they opened up more farmland to irrigation.

Nile River Dispute
Tensions are high between Egypt and Ethiopia after Egyptian officials were caught on camera proposing to sabotage Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance dam, the Los Angeles Times reported. Egypt fears the dam will cut its water supply from the river, while Ethiopia is trying to increase its hydropower capacity and encourage development.

Water Supply in Africa
Water rationing is ongoing in Cameroon’s capital, where the government imposed restrictions on water use in February due to a long dry period. Residents say that the rations are not distributed consistently, and many have resorted to borehole water that must be treated, according to AlertNet.

Tanzania is looking to supply more of its population with water through investment projects with China and India, Bloomberg News reported. The country plans to provide 90 percent of its rural population with water by 2025, where 57 percent of residents are currently supplied.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

Codi Kozacek

A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek